California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
This week marks National Groundwater Awareness Week, and California’s Department of Water Resources will be showcasing aspects of groundwater on its social media platforms.
“The reality is that our water system, which includes groundwater basins throughout the state, is going to be stretched thin this summer,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “We must all do our part and continue to make conservation a way of life to ensure a safe and healthy water supply now and into the future.”
According to DWR, groundwater provides 40 percent of the state’s water supply in a normal year, and up to 60 percent in dry years. At the height of the last major drought in 2014, the state enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to protect groundwater as a reliable resource for future generations over the long term. Local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) were formed with tools and authorities to work with their communities to develop projects that will both reduce reliance on groundwater and replenish groundwater basins.
DWR has provided nearly $260 million in grant funding and technical assistance for these local agencies and the state continues to make investments in the latest forecasting tools to inform statewide water management decisions.
National Groundwater Awareness Week is an annual observance sponsored by the National Groundwater Association (NGWA) established in 1999 to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater.
